Positioner for hemispherical fruit halves



Feb. 5, 1952 J. ALBERTOLI POSITIONER FOR HEMISPHERICAL FRUIT HALVES Filed Dec. 3, 1945 INVENTOR.

5 ,QLBEETQL/ JT/ZW/VEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John Albertoli, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 3, 1945, Serial No. 632,477

This invention relates to a positioner for hemispherical fruit halves, such as peaches, and the like.

In the canning of peaches, apricots, and the like, the pitting operation generally bisects the fruit, thus forming halves that are generally hemispherical in shape, being flat on one of their sides except for the pit cavities, and convex on the other of their sides.

The hemispherical fruit halves may then be canned or they may pass to slicers, dicers, or the like, for further processing, or they may go to dehydrators. Where the fruit is sliced, the fiat sides should be down, but where the fruit is dried the fiat sides should be facing upwardly. Other operations may require that the flat sides be down or up according to the particular operation.

Most methods and devices for accomplishing the positioning of the halves either operate through vibrating the halves on specially formed shaker tables, or else the halves are rather severely manipulated. With the tables the volume handled is somewhat restricted unless a relatively large table or tables are used, and with the other devices the fruit is in many instances undesirably injured.

One of the objects of this invention is an improved method of positioning the halves that is fast and not injurious to the fruit. v

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved positioner that-is adapted to position the fruit halves rapidly and efiiciently and without injury to thefruit.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of improved means for positioning fruit halves with their flat or convex sides facing downwardly as desired, and which means is rapid and reliable in operation and does not injure the fruit.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for positioning fruit halves with their flat sides downwardly, and which means handles the fruit rapidly without injury thereto.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a semi-diagrammatic perspective view of a form of the invention for positioning the halves with their convex sides down. I Fig. 2 is a semi-diagrammatic perspective view of another form of the invention for positioning the halves with their flat sides down. v Fig-j 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of, a hopperfeed for the device of Fig. 2 instead of the belt feed shown in Fig. 2.

3 Claims. (01. 209-72) Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the spacing between the rollers of Fig. 2 and their relation to the halves and to the receiving conveyor below the rollers.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the relation between the rollers of Fig. 2 with respect to the halves and to each other.

In detail, referring to Figs. 1, 4 the fruit halves i may be carried on an endless conveyor belt 2 to between rollers 3, 4 for discharge of the halves to between said rollers. The belt 2 extends over roller 3 and drives said roller so that the side of the latter that faces roller 4 moves downwardly. The roller 4 may be driven in a direction opposite to that of roller 3, or it may be merely an idler roller, as indicated, in which case it will be caused to rotate in a direction opposite to the direetion of rotation of roller 3 by engagement with the halves that fall between the rollers.

In using the term rollers in the description and claims, it is intended to include rollers in which a belt may extend over one of the pair or in which one of the roller shafts may be driven as seen in Fig. 3. Where the belt is employed it will form the roller surface that is adjacent the other roller that is alongside the same.

The rollers 3, 4 are parallel'and are on shafts that in turn are mounted for rotation at their ends in any suitable bearings 5 (Fig. 4).

The spacing between the adjacent surfaces of the rollers is less than the diameters of the fruit halves -I that are to be fed to between the rollers and greater than their radii. Below the space between said rollers is a carrier 6 that may be a conventional conveyor belt, said belt being preferably positioned a distance below the rollers slightly greater than the radii of the respective halves.

In operation, the halves may be fed directly to the space between the rollers from an overhead hopper, such as indicated in Fig. 3, or as already stated, the halves may be carried by belt 2 to between the rollers. The halves on belt 2 are indescriminately arranged, but due to the spacing between the rollers 3, 4 they will be compelled to drop edgewise between the rollers.

' The halves that have their fiat sides against roller 3 (belt surface) will tend to follow the belt around, and will be tilted upon dropping so that the halves with their fiat sides facing downward-v 1y, as seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

In Figs. 2, the rollers 9, correspond to the However, instead of the halves falling onto a horizontal conveyor as seen.

rollers 3, 4 of Fig. l.

in Fig. 1, they are discharged into a pair of generally circularly extending, verticallndisposedchutes. Such chutes may comprisea generally cylindrical member ll positioned so its central axis is parallel with the axes of rollers 9; le -and in a vertical plane bisecting the space between said rollers. This member II forms the inner sides of the chutes that. receive the halves.

The outer sides of saidchutescomprise gen: erally semi-cylindrical.sections; i2, is. that. re:- spectively extend over the ,outersides of member I I spaced therefrom. The .upper ends ofsaidsece tions respectively.terminatebelow rol1ers9,. l0 and their lower ends terminateinspaced relation over a horizontally extending conveyor I4. ,Ends

I5 may close thelateral ends of thev space between the member II and sections I2, I3, which :ends are preferably secured-to said sections and mem.- her for spacing them. apart. Any suitable .framework 16 may be used. to. support the member-II and sections I2, I3 above conveyor I4,.such frame-- work being broken away :in Fig.2 and only :partially shown.

A belt I? corresponding to belt 2 of Fig. .1 may extend over roller 9 for carrying thehalves I to the two chutes, and a hopper I 8 may be positioned over belt ll for feeding fruit halves theretd'or-as seen in Fig. 3, a feed hopper E9 may epositioned directly over the space between the rollers.

The upper side of member II is formed with-a relatively sharp, upstanding ridge 2!! that is parallel with the axis of said member andthat is in a vertical plane bisecting the space thereabove between rollers 9, I6. This ridge may be secured onto member If or-it may be formed in the upper side thereof, and its sides are preferably curved to provide concave surfacesfacing rollers 9, Ifirespectively so'that the spacing between said rollers and said surfaces where--'the latter continue beyond the-upper ends of sections I2, I3 is about the same as between memher I I and said sections.

In operation, the'halves I will fall edgewisebe tween rollers 9, It! in the same manner as described with respect to Fig. l. The fiat sides of said halves will be ofiset to one side prthe. other of the said vertical plane bisecting .the-spacebetween rollers 9, IE), therefore the convex lower sides of the halves will 'engageone or theother of the convex surfaces .of the ridge ZDfor deflecting the halves into chute ZI or chute 22 that: extend from opposite sides of saidridge. Oncein either of said chutes the convex sides of the halves I will slidably engage the member If while the fiat sides will face sections I2, I3. However, the halves cannot tumble so as to turn over, be-. cause the spacing between the sections and memher I I is less than their diameters. Therefore they will slide down the chutes, and as they. pass the half-way point, their fiat sides willcommence to face downwardly and will slide .againstsections I2, I 3. When the halves reach the lower ends of chutes 2|, 22 they will be fully inverted and will slide out generally tangentially of their paths of travel in the chutes onto conveyor belt I4 with their flat sides down. The belt I4 may then carry the halves to the slicers or dicers or to any desired point.

In Fig. 3 a hopper I9 may feed the halves to the space .between a pairof rollers 26, 21 in which case -one 'ofthe rollers, such as roller 25, may be driven by a belt 28 that extends over a pulley on one end of the roller shaft. The turning device below :therollers 125,, 27 may be identical with the one shown in Figs. 2, 5. 4

As seen in Fig. 5, while the roller 9 is power driven directly from belt 2, the two rollers are connected. bygears 36 so that both are power driven, and the same is true of the rollers 26, 21

While in most instances the upper portion of member. I 1' that. carries the ridge 2B is ri id with the member -.I,;I,: there ,are instances where -.is preferable that the same, such as ridge piece-3L be supportedrfor-mo;vernent, as ,by coaxial pivots 32 -;(Fig.. 3.) whichwilLprevent any of the halves from any possible tendency tc'jam: on :the ridge. Sufiicient .play is .allowed. forymovement ,of said ridgepiece 3L. V

It is to be understood thatthe detailed ,descrip: tion. and drawings are not intended to .be restrictive of .the inventionbut are merely illustrative thereof.

I claim 1.

l. A'positioner for substantially hemispherical fruit halves comprisinga-pair of horizontally dis.-

posed parallel rollersspaced apart .a distance less than the diameter of such halves, means for feeds;- ing such halves tobetween said rollers for downward movement generally edgewisewith the flat sides of said halves ofis'et to oneside or theother of a vertical plane bisecting-the spacebetween said rollers, a diverter in said plane disposed below said space for engagement with the-convex under surfacesof said'halves adjacenttheirflat sides to=deflect the halves toonelside or the-other of said plane to positions with their flat sides facing upwardly, means for carrying the halves so deflected to 'a point of-discharge, said means comprising a pair of generally semi-circular ver-- tically extending chutes having opposedsubsta-ntially semi-circular sides-for holding said halves from tumbling while-so carried and for deliver-.- ing said halves to-the lower ends of saidchutes with their fiat sides facing downwardly 2; A pos-itioner "for substantially hemispherical fruit halves comprisinga pair of horizontally disposed parallel rollers spaced apart a distance less than the diameter ofs-uch halves, means forfeeding such halves to between said rollers for down' ward movement generallyedgewise withthe flat sides of said halvesoffset to :one side or the other. of a vertical plane'bis-ecting .thespace between said rollers, a diverter in-said plane disposedoelow said space for engagement with the convex under surfaces of said. halves adjacent their .flat .sides to deflect thehalves to one side or the otherof said plane to positions with their fiat sidesv facing chargepoint with their .flat sidesiacing downwardly at saidpointu 3. A positioner for substantially hemispherical fruit halves comprising ,a...pair. of horizontally disposedparallel rollers spaced apart a distance greater than the radii.-.of,.;such halves and less than their diameters, means for feeding such halves to between said rollers for downward movement generally edgewise with the fiat sides of said halves oifset to one side or the other of a vertical plane bisecting the space between said rollers, means for simultaneously driving said rollers for downward movement of their adjacent sides, a diverter in said plane disposed below said space for engagement with the convex under surfaces of said halves adjacent their flat sides to deflect lo the halves to one side or the other of said plane to positions with their flat sides facing upwardly, means supporting said diverter for slight movement thereof but substantially in said plane,

means for receiving the halves so deflected and 15 for delivering said halves to a discharge point with their flat sides facing downwardly at said point.

JOHN ALBERTOLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,246,138 Mitchell Nov. 13, 1917 1,669,087 Hungerford May 8, 1928 1,702,901 Hungerford Feb. 19, 1929 

